Perfecting Gnocchi

[Chufi]

Another great tip I got from eGulleter Gnocchi queen Shaya, is to rice the potatoes onto a dishcloth and knead the dough in the cloth - this seems to absorb excess moisture. When I started doing this, I was able to make gnocchi for the first time (before that, I either had dissolved ones or very heavy stodgy ones)

[pennylane]

Thank you all SO much! Those are some great tips, doctortim. The only thing which confuses me, however, is that most of your tips seem aimed at reducing the amount of flour. But don't I actually need more flour to keep my gnocchi from falling apart?

- I use a potato ricer, with holes that are about 0.75 mm diameter. When I use a potato masher, I find I have to overwork the potatoes in order to ensure I've evenly broken them all up. That equals gluey potatoes.

It had already occurred to me (based on what I read in this and other threads) that I might have overworked the potatoes, but would that cause the gnocchi to dissolve and fall apart like they did? I would have thought gluey potatoes would lead to denser gnocchi, not the other way around?

I keep meaning to experiment with the dough as I'm making it, but each time I feel strangely confident that it'll turn out right so I don't bother. One thing I'll definitely try the next time, though, is adding the egg. I have tried that before but this time I thought I'd go without, and I guess that was a bad idea.

Sure they might be a bit heavy, but it's better than gnocchi soup.

Gosh, I just can't agree more. It seems like everyone's always complaining about "heavy", "leaden" gnocchi, whereas I am so far from that, it's hard to believe we're even talking about the same thing!!

Well, I'll let you guys know how the next batch turns out! Thanks again for all your help!

[doctortim]

Most of your tips seem aimed at reducing the amount of flour.  But don't I actually need more flour to keep my gnocchi from falling apart?   

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Simply adding more flour would be a good way to ensure that your gnocchi stay together (to a point). However the more flour you add, the more flour you'll get in each mouthful and worse the gnocchi will taste, both in flavour and in texture. Hopefully my tips and the other tips in the thread will help you handle the dough in such a way that a good result can be achieved with a standard amount of flour (which I've found is never more than 1/4 of the cooked weight of the potatoes).

I would have thought gluey potatoes would lead to denser gnocchi, not the other way around?

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I'm not really sure about the science of starch and what happens chemically when someone overworks mashed potato. But from practice I've found that 2 things make a gnocchi dough more watery and gloopy: one is overworking the dough, and the other is leaving the dough sitting around. Perhaps as the starch breaks down it releases moisture?

Best of luck!

[chefadamg]

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I tried again tonight with the same result.  I used one and a half potatoes, mashed, with about six tablespoons of flour. 

Help!!!

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Its quite evident youre not using ENOUGH flour. Many beginers make that mistake. This is a dough and needs the proper balance of potato to flour. Thomas Keller uses 2 lbs russets/3 yolks/salt and 1.25-1.5 cups AP flour. Thats what I use and it works every time. Also..some people dont quite mix it up enough...everyone always says over kneeding will make them tough..and thats true ,if you kneed for 10 minutes. The dough has to be mixed properly to homogenize.

[pennylane]

Its quite evident youre not using ENOUGH flour. Many beginers make that mistake. This is a dough and needs the proper balance of potato to flour. Thomas Keller uses 2 lbs russets/3 yolks/salt and 1.25-1.5 cups AP flour. Thats what I use and it works every time. Also..some people dont quite mix it up enough...everyone always says over kneeding will make them tough..and thats true ,if you kneed for 10 minutes. The dough has to be mixed properly to homogenize.

Thanks, man! The more I've been thinking about it, the more convinced I am that that's a big part of my problem. I'm so scared of using too much flour, I go too far in the opposite direction. Also I wasn't using eggs, and that makes the dough take less flour. Thanks for your ratio - I'll keep that in mind.

[Mikeb19]

My 'recipe' (more like a technique), that I've used with great success in restaurants.

Bake potatoes on a bed of salt. Rice potatoes (you've got to work quick while they're hot). Sprinkle flour all over (and season with a little salt), then mix with your hands until it gets 'crumbly' - the drier the potatoes, the less flour needed. Add an egg yolk or two (for most home sized batches, 1 egg yolk should be enough), and mix until it is *just* combined (mix too much, it gets gluey). Roll into 'ropes' (make sure theres plenty of flour on your work surface), cut, and boil (or freeze).

Making gnocchi is more about technique than it is recipes. It's a very hands on, manual operation.

[moreace01]

Not sure if you are determined to make potato gnocchi, but I've found that ricotta gnocchi is much easier to work with - and to perfect - since you don't have the time consuming process of baking the potatoes (since it goes so much faster, I've found that it's easier for me to tell when the dough is right or wrong because that's what I'm concentrating on versus all of the additional steps with the potato gnocchi). Mario Batali has a great ricotta gnocchi recipe.

[pennylane]

Not sure if you are determined to make potato gnocchi, but I've found that ricotta gnocchi is much easier to work with - and to perfect - since you don't have the time consuming process of baking the potatoes (since it goes so much faster, I've found that it's easier for me to tell when the dough is right or wrong because that's what I'm concentrating on versus all of the additional steps with the potato gnocchi). Mario Batali has a great ricotta gnocchi recipe.

I'm not sure I've ever had ricotta gnocchi. What does it taste like compared to the potato-based kind?

[moreace01]

To be honest, I don't really think it tastes that much different (maybe others think differently?), but it might be because I usually pair gnocchi with strong sauces. For myself, I just think it's a whole lot easier. I've made riccotta gnocchi numerous times, so I kind of understand the texture that works. I made it a few weeks ago using a new recipe (for me at least - from Suzanne Goin's Sunday Suppers - great sauce but gnocchi were heavy). I've had a lot of luck with Mario Batali's (and the sauce is excellent too).

[Paul McMichael]

Making gnocchi is more about technique than it is recipes.  It's a very hands on, manual operation.

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A couple of years ago, My wife I went to Tuscany for gnocchi lessons. It is an art.

Noella at Aiole insisted on old potatoes, steamed then dried on her special board. Not much flour in the dough, but lots of flour on the board. I have a photo on

My Webpage

[Viwakavune]

Someone mentioned cooking Gnocchi with strong sauces. What kind of sauces do you usually use?

[moreace01]

I think that was me.

I qualify meat ragu as strong (heavy might be a better term) - which is what I typically seem to use. I did try ricotta gnocchi in brown butter with chanterelles and sweet corn following suzanne goin's recipe. while the sauce was awesome, the gnocchi were extremely "leaden" (I think that is an accurate description). They just weren't light, fluffy clouds. I noticed that when I was working with the dough that it seemed heavy/dense - it wasn't light and sticky like Batali's recipe. Next time i make that sauce, I'll follow Mario Batali's recipe for the gnocchi.

[UnConundrum]

I like a gorgonzola sauce. You can find my recipe here: http://www.recipesonrails.com/recipes/show...orgonzola-sauce

[Daniel Rogov]

Gnocchi have several things in common with potato latkes and nothing is more crucial to the success of either than, after the potatoes have been grated, crushed, mashed or otherwise mauled, placing them on a clean tea-towel (dish towel), wrapping the towel around them firmly and then squeezing the liquids out of them. The more liquid you get out the less flour you will need for binding and the better your gnocchi.

[slkinsey]

You can squeeze liquid out of cooked potatoes? News to me.

[kellytree]

I made gnocchi today and thanks to all of your tips and tricks I whipped my italian boyfriends butt in the homemade gnocchi department (having said tha, he made the tomato sauce hich as perfect.)

[doctortim]

kellytree, that looks unbelievable! What ingredients went into the tomato sauce?

[kellytree]

kellytree, that looks unbelievable! What ingredients went into the tomato sauce?

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The sauce was made with our canned tomatos sauce ( just tomato and a pinch of salt), 2 sausages - whole , a piece of some kind of beef, a carrot, celery, a clove of garlic, and a little oregano.

The whole thing is quite simply thrown together and boiled for a couple hours.

I take out all the chunks of meat and veggies and due to my darling mate I have to pass it through a sieve to get out all traces of tiny pieces of meat that may linger.

His version ends up very soupy (but good) or as he says " the gnocchi must swim in the sauce"- I usually put a spoonful of what remains in the seive (which is mostly just thick tomato sauce with a few tiny pieces of meat).

A LITTLE TRICK FOR WHEN YOU MAKE THE FORK MARKS:

Cut your gnocchi worms into the desired size.

Pick up a piece and pass the fork on the side of the gnocchi (not on the top which would seem the most obvious way).

The sides are still a little wettish so it is easier to make the indent marks.

[monavano]

Herbed Gnocchi with Dill and Pecorino, browned in a pat of butter and garnished with Pecorino.

[san]

i recently had a 'liquid' gnocchi while in spain. it is basically a very delicate shell with the inside consisting of a soft creamy liquit. i had some last year as well at tru in chicago- does anyone know how this is done?

[A Patric]

After getting the idea in my head from this thread I decided to make gnocchi tonight. I used Marcella Hazan's recipe, but added an egg. I also baked the potatoes instead of boiling them, though I did use the red round boiling potatoes as Hazan dictates. I found that with baking the potatoes not nearly as much flour is needed. In fact, I only used 1/2 of the flour called for in the recipe.

I boiled the formed gnocchi as instructed, just until they were getting soft, but not yet falling apart. Pulling them too early will lead to a raw flour flavor as I found out in my past attempt. After draining them, I then browned the gnocchi on each side in butter over medium heat until deeply golden browned a la Keller. Finally, I served them with the butter and onion tomato sauce from Hazan's book, which she notes is perfect for potato gnocchi.

My previous and only other attempt at gnocchi was a disappointing failure. This one, however, is one of the best things that I have ever eaten. It has such depth of flavor and complexity with so few ingredients. Truly an unbelievable dish.

[Lisa2k]

These are gnocchi are made with ricotta, eggs and flour, topped with a homemade marinara (good quality olive oil, chopped garlic, minced onion, San Marzano tomatoes, pinch of sugar, s & p to taste, and fresh basil) and freshly grated parm-reg.

The key to tender gnocchi, whether it be potato, ricotta, butternut squash, spinach, or wherever your creativity takes you, is not too much flour, not overworking/kneading the dough, (as this would allow the gluten to develop, resulting in a tough gnocchi), not letting them sit out too long to dry (try to cook them within a half hour of forming them), and taking them out of the salted, boiling water as soon as they rise to the top.

Also, try not to make them too big. About a 1/2 to 1 inch piece cut off a somewhat slender, rolled rope of the dough, is usually just right per gnocchi, unless you're making a gnocchi grande!

Edited April 29, 2008 by Lisa2k (log)

[Lisa2k]

i recently had a 'liquid' gnocchi while in spain.  it is basically a very delicate shell with the inside consisting of a soft creamy liquit.  i had some last year as well at tru in chicago- does anyone know how this is done?

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If the creamy, soft, liquid like center had some kind of 'cheesy' flavor to it, it sounds a lot like a gnocchi fonduta, which I learned to make from Chef Jamie Adams on a Great Chefs episode several years ago. Since you had it in Spain, I suppose the cheese could be Manchego, Cantabria or any other of the wonderful cheeses made in Spain. How they fill it is written out in the recipe below. Like I previously mentioned, you could substitite most any cheese that isn't oily and melts well, for the fontina in the recipe. Also, the base for the gnocchi you had could have been made with something other than potato, but give this one a try and see if it's close to what you had.

Gnocchi Stuffed with Fonduta in Parmesan Cheese Cream Sauce

Serves 4

Fonduta

1 pound Italian fontina cheese, rind removed, diced, soaked in 1 cup milk

3 egg yolks

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Gnocchi

4 pounds Idaho potatoes

3 eggs

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon olive oil

3/4 cup all-purpose flour (approximately)

Sauce

1 tablespoon butter

1 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Regiano cheese

pinch of salt and pepper

pepper to taste

1 truffle peeled and thinly sliced

To make the fonduta: In a double boiler or a metal bowl set over a pan of simmering water, melt the fontina with its soaking milk until smooth. Whisk in the egg yolks and flour and cook, stirring constantly with a whisk, about 7 minutes until smooth and thickened slightly. Be careful not to overcook, as the eggs will curdle and the mixture will separate. Remove the pan from the heat and remove the bowl from the pan. Stir the sauce for 1 minute while the water in the pan cools slightly. Transfer the mixture to a clean bowl and allow to cool for 30 minutes.

When the cheese is cooled enough to handle, but still slightly warm, transfer to a lightly floured work surface and roll into pencil-width strips.

To make the gnocchi: Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to boil over high heat. Add the potatoes and cook about 35 minutes until very tender. Remove the potatoes from the water and peel. While potatoes are still warm, pass them through a food mill. Allow the potatoes to cool completely.

Spread the milled potatoes on a board and make a well in the center. Put the eggs, salt, and olive oil in the well. Little by little mix in the flour, incorporating it into the potatoes and liquids. Add the minimum amount of flour possible. When a solid dough is formed, start kneading. Gently knead for about 5 minutes, being careful not to overknead, as this will develop the gluten in the flour, making the gnocchi tough.

Remove a small piece of the gnocchi and roll out into a strip the same width but slightly thicker than the fonduta strips. Press a fonduta strip into the gnocchi dough and roll out into a strip. Repeat with the remaining gnocchi and fonduta. Cut the strips crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces. (Be careful not to place the strips too close together when cutting into pieces, as they will stick to each other.)

Bring a large pot containing a large quantity of salted water to a boil over high heat. While the water is coming to a boil, make the sauce.

To make the sauce: In a medium saucepan melt the butter over medium heat until golden. Add the cream and bring the mixture to a simmer. Cook until reduced slightly. Add the cheese, salt and pepper to taste and cook until the cheese has melted and the sauce is smooth. Keep the sauce warm on the back of the stove while completing the dish. If necessary, reheat over very low heat.

When the water is boiling, quickly drop all the gnocchi into the pot. Lightly stir the water with a wooden spoon to keep the gnocchi from sticking. After a few seconds, they will come to the surface of the water; let them cook for 1 minute longer. With a strainer, remove the gnocchi to the pan containing the sauce. Toss them briefly in the sauce to coat, and transfer to a serving dish. Garnish with the truffle.

Edited April 29, 2008 by Lisa2k (log)

[Dave Hatfield]

Everybody seems to be trying to make potato gnocchi. Hard work & tricky.

Try gnocchi Parisian a la Keller. Here's a link to the recipe.

There's also a video of him making them as well, but I can't find it at the moment.

I did these recently & they are both easy & delicious. Hard to go wrong when making pate a choux.

See blog below for details.

[tino27]

I am planning on doing a homemade gnocchi dish for an upcoming event. I love to make the gnocchi from scratch, but obviously it's a bit of a time consuming process and you more or less have to boil them within a very short period of time after making them. Because I will need to prepare a large number of servings I was trying to wrap my head around how to do this.

So here is what I was thinking. After shaping the individual gnocchi, I would lay them out in a single layer on a sheet pan and freeze them uncooked. Then I would transfer to a freezer bag for storage until the event. At the event, I simply throw them, still frozen, right into the boiling water and then cook them until they float.

I am prepared that they might lose a minimal amount of texture, but unless this presents a major problem, are there any other tips or tricks or problems anyone can foresee?

By the way, my gnocchi recipe is fairly standard: riced cooked potatoes, AP flour, eggs, salt & pepper.